Political communication and constitution of medieval Japan from the perspective of letter form documents

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13346
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Yuki 立教大学, 文学部, 教授 (00726573)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 日本中世史 / 古文書学 / 比較古文書学 / 日本法制史 / 書状 / 鎌倉時代 / 御成敗式目

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The political culture and social system of medieval Japan have been re-examined from the perspective of documents in the form of 'letters', which were sent from one individual to another. The aim of this research is to clarify the actual situation in medieval Japan, which was constructed through personal networks, by focusing on 'letters'.
The results of this study include: (1) a comprehensive review of the letters of the Hojo family of the Kamakura Shogunate and a re-examination of regency politics in the pre-mid Kamakura period and Tokuso politics in the late Kamakura period; (2) an investigation into how the laws of the shogunate, including the Gojoshiki-moku, were actually 'understood' and implemented by the people of the same period, and the actual situation, including the letters; and (3) reexamining the history of Japanese paleography and presenting the results in foreign languages, with the aim of promoting international academic exchange.

Free Research Field

日本中世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来の古文書学は、権力者の発給する命令文書を中心に組み立てられてきたが、それは支配・被支配の関係を軸として中世社会をみる考え方に通底するものだった。しかし、「書状」に注目することによって、単純な支配・被支配というタテの関係のみならず、ヨコの関係を含む多様な人的関係のありようを中世文書の世界から浮かび上がらせることができた。それによって、近代的な国家像や「法」のイメージで論じられがちであった鎌倉時代の社会の実態を明らかにするとともに、逆に今とも通底する社会の普遍性をも浮き彫りにできたことは、一見現代からかけ離れた中世の歴史を現在の私たちがリアルなものとして受けとめる材料になると思われる。